Squirrel tests positive for the bubonic plague in Colorado

[Mary Wilson]

ABC News
Created: July 14, 2020 08:18 AM

Public health officials have announced that a squirrel in Colorado has tested positive for the bubonic plague, according to ABC News.

The town of Morrison, Colorado, in Jefferson County, which is just west of Denver, made the startling announcement saying that the squirrel is the first case of plague in the county.

It is possible for humans to be infected with the bubonic plague through bites from infected fleas and by direct contact with blood or tissues of infected animals such as a cough or a bite.

"Symptoms of plague may include sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, nausea and extreme pain and swelling of lymph nodes, occurring within two to seven days after exposure. Plague can be effectively treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should consult a physician," said JCPH.

https://kstp.com/health/squirrel-tests-positive-for-the-bubonic-plague-in-colorado/5791502/?cat=12678&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_KSTP

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/07...ue-human-case/

Colorado man infected with plague after exposure to sick squirrels, but officials say there’s no increased risk to public
Plague has been present in Colorado since the 1940s and circulates regularly among rodents

By Meg Wingerter | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: July 16, 2020 at 10:53 a.m. | UPDATED: July 16, 2020 at 11:06 a.m.

A southwest Colorado resident was infected with plague after exposure to sick squirrels earlier this summer, the first confirmed case of the disease in humans in the state since 2015. But health officials emphasized that the public only needs to take normal precautions.

Plague, a bacterial disease that’s typically carried by fleas but also can spread through respiratory droplets, has been in Colorado since the 1940s, said Dr. Jennifer House, state public health veterinarian for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Infected wild animals have been found in Jefferson, Adams and Broomfield counties this year, though the disease can circulate in rodent communities around the state...